Passion Bites by Mary Hughes Excerpt, Giveaway & Interview

Passion Bites Synopsis:

Dr. Alexis Byornsson has her hands full in the ER when her patient’s uncle blows into the exam room. Stitching up a five-year-old’s cut is hard enough without a blond god distracting her all to hell.

To say she’s furious is putting it mildly—not that anyone would notice. Not with the legendary control that’s earned her the nickname “Dr. Frozen”.

Luke Steel never knew a woman chastising him could be so sexy. But for the first time in three hundred years, passion stirs in his gut—along with panic. Since his wife was taken before his eyes in a brutal attack, he’s sworn he’d never feel that powerless again.

Almost before either Luke or Alexis realize what’s happening, they’re sharing a blazing kiss that shatters her logical armor and unleashes his wholly unwanted mating instinct. And spurs a closer-than-skin enemy to put into motion a devastating plan for revenge.

Warning: This book contains a hot doctor and a hotter vampire messing up sterile surfaces. The usual rogue shenanigans, but this time covering deeper motives. Hang on to your stethoscopes at what’s revealed!

Available at:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | All Romance | iTunes | Kobo

Excerpt #1:

“You are not taking my townhouses.” I glared up into Julian’s blue eyes…no, actually they were a distinct shade of peeved violet.

“They’re not your townhouses.” The lawyer gritted the words around canines a mite longish, and his tone promised death and dismemberment, not necessarily in that order.

Anybody else would’ve been crapping pants’ loads of bricks.

But those voice and eye tricks reminded me of hospital administrators, focused on the almighty bottom line instead of patient care. I’d battled enough of them who’d wielded tone and expression like blunt swords. I wasn’t that impressed.

Besides, I’d had a trying night, and though I ate healthy and exercised, at thirty-nine the little aches and pains of aging were knocking at my muscles and joints.

If he was cranky, I could be cranky right back.

I kicked up my jaw and met him stare for stare. “Yes, they are. Those townhouses are mine.”

“They’re not yours until you pay for them.”

“I put down earnest money plus a security deposit. Ten thousand dollars.” My throat thickened on the words. That ten thousand was all I had. As a physician I made a fair amount, but hefty school loans and a somewhat open hand with my patients, shelters and other charities insured I’d hemorrhaged most of my savings. Yet when the opportunity came, I had to jump on it with everything I had left; Lizelle needed me. “Those buildings are as good as mine, and you’d better back off.”

“You dare to tell me I should back off?” Julian surged forward—not a psychological trick this time, but real emotion goosing him.

I flinched away.

Before he could force me off the stoop with his sheer presence, long male fingers curled around his biceps, slim but insanely strong because they immediately checked him.

My body stirred at the strength in those artistic fingers.

The face belonging to the fingers appeared in the doorway a moment later, a movie star’s gorgeous close-up framed by hair of sunshine—and eyes glittering red-gold in the electric light.

Luke Steel.

My body rose up and shouted halleluiah. I gave it an annoyed whack. Sputtered, “What are you doing here?”

Luke slid past Julian onto the stoop, a lazy smile curving his lips. “Saving you from a tongue lashing.”

Tongue lashing? If it were Luke’s hot tongue…argh. “I can hold my own in an argument.”

“Even with a lawyer?”

“Especially with a lawyer.” I glared around him at Julian.

Julian glared back, violet eyes shading angry red—until Luke popped an elbow back into his gut.

“Oof.” Julian’s eyes cooled to blue. “I don’t have time for this. Steel, deal with her.” He spun and stalked off.

Leaving me face-to-face with six-three of graceful power.

About Mary Hughes:

As a girl, Mary Hughes spun romantic, happily-ever-after stories to get to sleep. A husband, family, two degrees and a blackbelt later, she's delighted to spin them for readers.
She's lived with love and loss, in bright times and dark, and learned we can all use a break from reality every now and then.
So join her for action, sparkling wit and red-hot love. Strong men. Stronger women.

Interview

1.  When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I was a reader first, then I started telling myself stories to get to sleep. I guess I never realized I wanted to be a writer, I just starting doing it, lol.

2.  How long does it take you to write a book?
Proposal takes one month, first draft another three. Then there’s a month or two of edits. About six months.

3.  What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
New material in the morning, when I’m fresh. I’ll re-read the previous day’s writing to get character and plot back in my head. Online work in the afternoon. Flute practice at the end of the day.

4.  What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Some writers get creative energy from listening to music, but I burn scented candles and incense.

5.  How do books get published?
Like a car—hybrid, lol. Samhain Publishing does my Biting Love and Pull of the Moon novels. Crimson Romance does my romantic comedies. I get to flex my own publishing chops with the novellas.

6.  Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
The Internet is the greatest! I can become a temporary expert in just about any field. I go to Wikipedia for basic info, YouTube for sounds.

7.  When did you write your first book and how old were you?
My first book was in pen on a wide-rule notebook in junior high, about a girl who falls in love with a mysterious traveling magician.

8.  What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Read! Binge-watch television—NCIS, Sherlock, Agents of SHIELD, and right now, The Flash.

9.  What does your family think of your writing?
Everyone in my immediate family writes in one way or another, so they’re all behind what I do and supportive. I’m lucky! I do have to delete the hot scenes in my books if I want my kids to edit them, lol.

10.             What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
Can I do three? I have to learn the same writing technique several times from different angles before I can actually own it. I was thrilled to find how supportive other authors are. I was amazed how much decision-making goes into plotting books.

11.             How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I think I’m up to eighteen published, but I have a few on the hard drive that may or may not ever see the light of day. Favorite—I love all my stories but waited the longest to see Downbeat published.

New release Passion Bites is the story I thought I’d never write, and I had to almost completely rewrite it before my editor was happy with it, yet it has become the most emotionally rewarding.

12.             Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Make mistakes joyfully. Listen to your heart. Read like crazy in books that make you happy. Always work on crafting a better story.
MAKE BACKUPS FREQUENTLY. Lol.

13.             Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I love getting emails from readers and hearing from them on Facebook! Sometimes hearing a reader loved a book is the thing that keeps me going that week. Sometimes they want to discuss a character and that’s fun too. I don’t know if I get a lot of feedback or a little, but each touch is golden.

14.             Do you like to create books for adults?
Yes. Half the fun in writing adult books is cracking jokes about adult things, and the other half is wrestling with serious adult issues.

15.             What do you think makes a good story?
Funny thing, I was considering that just today. Before now, I would’ve said a strong heroine who has a strong goal and makes interesting choices. But that doesn’t apply to some fairy tales, like Cinderella, yet readers love those too. So maybe there’s not just one thing that makes a good story, lol.

16.             As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I wanted to dig for exciting relics like Indiana Jones.

17.             What Would you like my readers to know?

Passion Bites, releasing December 8, 2015, pairs fiercely logical heroine Dr. Alexis Byornsson and graceful golden vampire Luke Steel—who has never gotten over the loss of his wife 300 years ago. How can she help heal him when she’s emotionally frozen herself?

To celebrate the release, Alexis’s sister’s book, Beauty Bites, is on sale for 99c December 1-11, 2015.

Giving back to readers this holiday season are 12 authors joining me for 12 Days of 99c Sales. http://maryhughesbooks.blogspot.com/2015/11/twelve-days-of-99c-sales-december-1-12.html

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